Elkin offers no grand thesis on the female voice beyond that women’s vocal styles are rich and varied, subject to undue manipulation and criticism and generally underserved by the music business ... At the core of this book is not just sharp analysis but a deep appreciation for singing and how it represents expression and freedom.
Elkin is a skilled, versatile and intensely curious writer who has tackled everything from big, zeitgeisty subjects to neglected minutiae ... ultimately Elkin’s selections are guided by her tastes, which is fair enough. The book is clever and original ... The conclusions she reaches are both brutal and optimistic.
As erudite as it is intimate . . . Blending memoir with musical and cultural history, Elkin explores how artists, including Edith Piaf, Cyndi Lauper, and Billie Eilish, transform vocal vulnerability into artistic power, while Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna emerges as a touchstone for women refusing silence. Throughout, Elkin's insider's ear for tone and timbre―a ‘raucous shriek,’ a ‘breathy baby’ voice―makes this an illuminating study of music, feminism, and self-expression.
Similar to Elkin’s Flâneuse (which centered on women walking alone through cities for enjoyment), this book leans toward the academic, but its memoir-like meditations on operatic divas, pop stars, and punk vocalists alike might provide an avenue of appeal for some casual readers too.
